Concealed door hinge



. 1,578,570 J. W. ANDERSON vCONCEALED DooR HINGE Filed April 2'5, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 l llllllll March 30 1926.

Patented Mar. 3C, LA19:26.

UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE. f

JOHN w. ANDERSON, or CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR OF'oNE-HALF 'ro CLARnNcnd POFFENBERGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND ONE-HALF To CORRER COMPANY, OI' AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION o-F ILLINOIS.

CONCEALED DOOR HINGE.

Application inea April 25,1921. serial NQ. 464,195.

T all whom t concern:v

Be it known that I, JOHN W. ANDERSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at.

1 Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State 6 of Illinois, have inventedwa certain new and useful Improvement in Concealed Door'l Hinges, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, referi lence being had'to the accompanying'draw- 10 ings, forming ay part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in concealed door hinges. v

' In many arts, particularly the automobile body art, it is highly essential that hinges of a concealed type be employed in order to maintain a thoroughly finished appearance and avoid unsightly projections. Concealed l. hinges, broadly, have heretofore been used,

particularly on automobiles. Many ditliculties have been experienced with former types of such concealed hinges used in thel trade', particularly with respect to the, assembling of the parts of the hinges after the parts have been attached to the body and door respectively and in providing ampleclearance between the adjacent parts of the bodyv and. door as thev door swings to open posif tion. Furthermore, such concealed hinges for the purpose indicated that' have been used heretofore, have been almost necessarily limited to use on automobile's having bodies of a more expensive .type and employing heavy door posts andedge pieces on the door for the reason that all of such concealed hinges have, so far as I am aware, necessitated mortising forv a depth of at least an inch and generally more,- into the wood doorl pieces. Obviously, when the wood door pieces require inortising to sucha depth,

they must be of considerable width and depth in order toeretain any appreciable portions of the wood surstrength in the to positively avoid any marring ofthe finish.

Another object 4of lmy invention is to provide a concealed hinge of the strap type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concealed hinge especially ladapted for automobile bodies wherein the parts may be readily assembled. and thereafter locked in operative position after the parts of the hinge have been secured to the body and door respectively.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear lfrom the description and claims'hereinafter following.

In the drawings' forming apart of this specification, Figure l is a horizontal, sectional viewtaken through a portion of a door andsurrounding relatively stationary door frame as for instance on anl automobile body. The dotted lines indicate the. door swung' to fully open position. Figures 2 and 3 are `vertical, sectional views corresponding respectively to the section lines 2&-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is an elevational View of one of the hinge plates or strap. Figure 5 is an elevational View ofl a block detached, which is employed in the improved hinge. Figure 6 is'ahorizon.

tal, sectional view illustrating more particulai-ly the manner of assembling the parts of Lthe hinge after the parts haveA been secured to the door and door frame respectively..

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken through an automobile body illustrating the advantages of my improved hinge as applied to those car bodies having inturns at the bottom. And Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken. through a portion of one of the doors, detached, showing the hinge elements carried thereby iny plan.

In said drawings, 10 denotes a portion "of adoor the edge of which is opposite the edge of the automobile body proper l1, when the hinge is employed on an automobile.' `As customary, theldoor is generally provided 'on the outer side thereof with a molding strip 10a and the body with a molding or beading strip 1l, the sante overlapping the usual small'gap left bet-Ween the opposed edges of the door and body 'when the door is in closed position. Ordinarily a' slight gap i 12 is left between the two pieces of moldingor beading, said gaps being left on account of the fact that a cushion is ordinarily'u'sed against the free edge of the door requiring forced to closed position.

The improved hlnge, as shown, colnprlses,

broadly, two main members or plates or.

straps designated A and B, respectively; a link C; a second link D; a pivot block E;

- and a locking screw F.

The plate A ispreferably of rectangular form and of a thickness approximating 1% to l/zf and is adapted to be secured to the body by means of four wood screws 13 13, said screws 13- 13 passing through openings 14--14 provided in the relatively thin bottom w'all l5 of the plate A, said wall 15 resulting from the formation of'a rectangular recess 16 formed on the outer side of the plate A. As slrown in Figures f1 and 3, the heads of said screws 13 are countersunk flush with the inner face of the back wall.

The, other plate or strap B, which is preferably secured to the door 10,'is also of f" rectangular form and of appreciably lesser thickness than the' plate A. the thickness of the Plate B approximating a quarter inch. Said plate B is secured to the door p also preferably by four countersunk wood screws 17-17. On account of the relatively shallow thicknesses of the plates A and B, it is evident that it is unnecessary to provide any deep mortises within either the body or the door wood members and consequentlyv the latter may be of comparartively small dimensions without .militating against their strength'after the hinges are applied. The plates' A and Bare preferably countersunk flush with the ,surfaces of the respective parts to which they are secured door merely by cutting transversely extending slots \18 and 19 respectively in the wood parts to which they are secured.

As best shown in Figuresvl, 2 and 4, the

plate Awithin the recess 16, is provided near the outer side of said plate with a centrally disposed integral lug 2O which has a rounded slightly inclined outer end 2()a spaced a short distance from the adjacent slightly oppositely inclined face 16a defining one side of the recess 16. The lug 2O is apertured as-indicated at 21 and threaded to receive the screw F and theI top face of the lug 20, surrounding the aperture 2l is suitably beveled as indicated at 2la to lit the under side of the head of the screw F so that, when the screw F is screwed home, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top face of the head of the screw' F will ,lie flush or within the outer face of the plate A.

The plate B is formed with a preferably Aintegral transversely extending lug 22 on that end of saidplate B remote from the lug 20, that is, near the inner side of the 10. In this connection, itr will be understood that the outer side of the door and body'is that side -to which the door swings.y Said lug 22/is of a length such lthat it will be readily received within the recess 16 of the plate A when the dooris in., closed position, as shown in Figures 'l and y3. The lug 22 is cut away at its center away at its center so as to provide a Jforked construction havlng two arms or tmes 27-27 as best shown-in Figure 2, said arms 27 being -pivotally connected tothe block C by short pivot pins'or pintles 28-28. As best shown in Figure 5, said block E is suitably recessed at each end thereot to providel pairs of spaced flanges 29-29 between which said arms 27 are received and by which said pins 28 are supported.y

'The link D, which is centrally disposed with respect to the plate B, is pivotally connected to the latter by means of .a suitable hinge pin Aor pintle 30 extending through said link D and a pair of spaced lugs 31--31 formed integrally `with the plate B. The

plate B is provided with a longitudinally extending centrally disposed recess 32 w'ithin which said link D is partially accommodated when the door is-in closed position, as best shown in Figure 1 The opposite end is pivotally connected to the block E by means of a pivot pin or pintle 33, the ends of the latter being carried by extensions 295-29" of the two inner flanges 29-29. j l

The block E, is formed on its outer side, that is the side nearest the outer sides 0I `the door and body, with a slightly sloping l face 34 conforming to and adapted to {it against the sloping face 16a of the plate A. lSaid block E is also formed with a Hat inner face 35 fitting against the flat bottom of the recess 16 of said plate A. vThe length of the block E is made slightly greater than he width of the majorportion of the recess 16 and the latter is laterally enlarged to accommodate the ends of said block E, as indicated best at 16h- 16", in Figure 4. At its center, the block E, is longitudinally recessed as indicated'at 36 so as' to snugly straddle the lug 20, the arms 37-37 formed by said recess 36 being partially caught under the large head of the screw F when the block is. in place. :By tightening the plates A and B have been secured to the` body and the door, respectively, it being understood that the links C and D lhave previously been attached to the plate Band the iso 1 head of the loosened screw F at an angle the last named while the door itself extends at an angle less than a right angle with respect to the body wall and, as fully shown in'Figure 6, the projecting molding strip 10a of the door will be far enough away fronrthe beading strip lla and main surface .of fthe body to avoid any possibility vof' the one being scratched or marred bykthe other. After the block E is slipped beneath the screw Ff the latter is Atightened and the j parts thereby securely' locked in operative relation. l

Referring now more Y particularly to Figures l and 6, it will be noted that the axis of the pivot pin '25 is oiset outwardly from the plate B whereas the axis of the pivot pin is approximately in line with the exposed face of the plate B and also that pivotal axis is loca-ted approximately 3/8 nearer the outer side of the door. At the opposite ends of said llinks C and D, and considering the block E as a rigid or substantially integral part of the plate: A, the axes of the pivotv pins 28 by which the link C is secured to theplate A,

are substantially in line with the plane of the exposed face of the plate A whereas the 'axis of the pivot pin 33 byA which the link D is connected tothe plate A, is outside of the plate A and nearer the outer end of said plate ,A. Furthermore, the effective swinging length or radius of the link C is lmade a little greater than the effective swinging length or radius of the link D. lVith the arrangement and loca-tion of links and pivotal axes above described, it will be'tseen that the door and .plate B in an opening swinging movement do not oscillate with respect to any single axis but on the contrary swing about two sets of` axes,

the relation of which gradually varies during the opening movements of -the door..

' The arrangement is such thatfjas the door starts its opening movement. both the outer end and the i-ner end of the plate B are initially moved away from the plate A, the inner end of the plate B moving away at a somewhat faster rate than the outer -end of the plate B, This ,insures/ the necessary clearance between the beads or moldings of the door and' body so as to .avoid any possible rubbing of the 'one on the other. The movement of the outer end of' the plate B away -from the; plate A continues, in 'conjunction with its swinging movement also, until the links C and D begin to partially overlap each other'at the -forke'd end of the 'link C and thereafter the general direction of travel fof the plate Blv is approximately about the axis `of t-he pivot pin 33 until the f doorreaches a position substantially at right angles to the body wall. "As clearly'` shown in Figure 1, there isvV-an unusual vamount olf-clearance between thelp'arts oli'r thedoor andthe body when the -door is Open, thus positively eliminating anydanger .of the parts rubbing o'r scratching eachother. The limit of the opening movement of the door isdetermined by the lt-Wo links C and D having-the portions 38 and 39 thereof cominginto contact, as shown in Figures l .and 6. `Witl1 the arrangement' and opera tio-n above described, it is evident that the plates or straps of thehinge -are concealed when the door-is -in closed position and so far as I am aware, noone heretoforehas ever devised a'h-inge of the strap type which so I may be concealed and'I intend to claim the same broadly.

Referring to the illustration ofl an ,autol ,mobile body linturned at its bottom, as illustrated in 'Figure 7, it' will be noted that my door must have their effective axes of oscil- .85 "n improved` hinge possesses very ,importantf lation in 'vertical alinement. -Where thel y lower part of a car body is inturned, which is extremely commonin automobile practice, it has generally been the custom to employ a strap hinge .which projects outwardly from the body for a lower hinge. It is evident that, if. a concealed hinge requiringv mortisf.

ing ofv the woodwork were employed for the lower hinge, the mortise for t-he same 'would come so iar out on the woodwork lin order to bring it into vertical a-linement with -the upper hinge, that the woodwork would be" substantially "entirely cut away for such lower hinge and thereby weaken the woodwork orl in fact partially expose 'the lower hinge.l With vmy construction, where the pl-ates or strapsof the hinge do not require' thev motising of the woodwork, andwhere the amplitude or throw of the 'moving door `is as great Aas shown and described, the up lll) per hinge may be placed at the extreme "limit i inwardly of the body and door and the 'lower hinge placed Vatt-he extreme limitout-'- wardly of the body and door without` weakening the woodwork and leaving ample clearance between the open door and the body at the top part'of thev door when open. lt is believed that this will be clearly under stood from the disclosure of Figure 7 out` further detailed explanation. In actual practice, the plates'or'straps A with- Iand B will be originally made with an excess of metal at each end thereof. such excess por# tiens being indicated by dotted lines in Figure i of the'drawing and referenceslX-X.' The purpose of this is` to vpermitvsuch -por`- tionsof said excess metal being cut offat either or both ends as may be found necesi v` sary to bring the ends of the plates flush.

t.) lof a pair of connecting links between said cessportion of the plate A'secured to the body at the top which would be cut oit as indicated at Y on one side and Y -on the other side, it being noted that practically all of the excess me-tal in the portion Y would be cut off whereas only a part of the portion Y would be cut oft. In the case of the lower hinge. the excess portions which would be cut ofi are indicated at Z and Z. The portion Z, at the right is obviously much narrower than the corresponding portion Y\of thenpper hinge whereas the portion Z cut off on the lower hinge is'con'siderabl'y in eX- cess of the corresponding portion Y of the upper hinge. Furthermore, it willI be noted that the left hand edgeof the plate A for the lower hinge may be milled to contornito the curvature ofthe body at that point without affecting the successful application and operation ofy thehinge.

I-have found that my type of concealed strap hinge may be successfully employed on automobile bodies for both thefupper and lower hinges .where the incurve or inturn of the body at the bottom amounts toas much as live to seven inches and that the door will swing -clear of the car body in its opening I increments, as shown in Figure 7 which accurately reproduces an actual example of the use of my hinges as applied to a body having an incurve or inturn of steven inches. It will be noted that .there is .ample clearanceb'etween the door and body, when the door is open, throughout the entire length of the parts. i l

I have herein shown and describedwhat Il now consider the preferred manner of carryinnV ont the invention but the same is merely Iillustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come lwithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a hinge of the character described,

, -the combination with two members adapted p to be secured to tle opposed edges of a stationary ldoor frame and a door respectively:

members, one set of ends of said links being ,pivotal'ly connected to one of said members and-the remaining set of ends 'being pivot ally connected to the otherl member, and the pivotal connections at lopposite ends of y one of said links being offset in the same d1- i-ection laterally of the Idoorl with reference vto the corresponding pivotal connections at the opposite ends of the other` link, when the door is closed.

2. In a hinge of-the character described,

i the combination with. two members adapted to besecured to the opposed edgesvof a stationary `door frame and a door, respectively; of a pair 'of ,connecting links between said members, one set of ends of sai'd vlinks being pivotally connected to one of said members at nonfaxially alined points, the remaining opposite sets of ends of the links being pivotally connected to the other member also at non-axially alined points, the distance be-g tween the axes of the pivotal connections of one of said links being less than the distance between the axes of pivotal connections of the other of-said links, said links being arranged to operate in separate planes.

3. In a hinge of the character described, the combination with two plates adapted to be secured to the opposite'edges of a relatively stationary door frame and a door respectively; of, two separate means, each means' being pivotally connected with each plate,'none of the aXes of the pivotal connections, being aligned and each means being also rigid between its points of pivotal connections with the plates, said pivotal connec- -tions of one means being odset-,transversely ythe axes of the pivotal connections being valined, the points of pivotal connections .ot both of said means to one of said plates being located relatively near that end of said plate which is nearest the outer face of the door? and the points of pivotal connection'o said'ineans to the other 'of said plates being located relatively near the opposite end ot said other plate, said elements being arranged so that portions of one of the same extend within the plane defined byf the other when lsaid 'door is .in closed position.

5. In a hinge' of the characterdescribed, the combination with two platesl adapted to be secured to the opposed edges of a relatively lstationary door frame and a door,

respectively; of two separate' means each'lll directly pivotally connected with each plate, for swinging '1no\-'en1ent*only, none of the axespt the pivotalconnections hcingfalined, the effective radius ot' swing between thev said pivotal connections ofone off said means 1 being less than-that of the other of said means,v said means. being. in all positions Athereof-disposedentirely between said door l -nect a door to a door frame and in which the door swings to one-sideonly of the door and frame.

6. In a hinge `adapted to swmgmgly conframe, theI combination' with two members adapted-to besecured to the opposed edges of thev `door and door frame; of two links 13' extending between said members, each link being pivotally connected at its ends to both plates and adaptedto swing outW'a-rdlybeyond ,saidside of the door frame, the two pivotal connections of said links at one set of corresponding endsbeingaxially offset, one o f said two-pivotal connections being pivotal connection nearer said end of the v-nect a door to a door frame and in which rality of members foldable side by side when rthe block to fit over plate being less than the effective swinging length of the other ofthe links.

`7. In a hinge of the charac-ter described, the combination with two members adapted to be secured to the 'opposed edges of a re-i vlatively stationaryd'oor frame and a door,

respectively; of a pair of links, ,each of which, at one of its ends,is pivotally connected to one of said members; a block towhich .the othenends of said links are pivot-r ally connected; and means for detachablysecuring said block to the transverse face of the other of said members. u

8. In a hinge of the character` described, the combination with two members adapted to be secured to the opposed edges-of a relatively stationary door frame and a. door, respectively; .of au pair of links, each of Whlch, at one 'of its ends, is'pivotally connected to one of said members; a block to which the other ends of said links are pivotally connected; and means for detachably securing saidblock to the other of said members, said means including a lug on said yother member, a slot in` the`block adapting said lug, anda clamping screw.

9. In a hinge adapted to swingingly 'con- 10. vIn an arrangement of the character described, the combination with a= member having a door opening defined' inf part by 'a door post and a swinging door, said door post and door having opposed `edges when the .door is closed' and said member. 'and door having moldings adjacent said opposed the joint when" the door is in closed position; of a concealed strap hinge having parts `se curedto the door post andthe door respecv tively and covered-bysaid moldings when opt. ,v

'edges of the door and post and overlapping the door isl closed, said hinge including means .pivotally door when closed and arranged to cause the door to swing about a multiplev of different pivot points, the adjacent pivotal points be- `connecting -said parts adapted to lie folded transversely of "said ing offset transversely relativelyto said'door and post. c .v

11. A lhinge of the character described comprising: two relatively flat plates 'adapted to'be secured to adoor yframe and a" door respectively', one of 'said-plates llelng recessed on its vexposed side and prov1 ed with a lug Within said recess; .a block adapted to be detachabl within said recess and'lii alined points to said block, one of said links having an effective length shorter than' that of the other.; and means for pivotally connecting the opposite ends of said Ilinks to the other said plates atnon-alined points; '12. 'A hinge adapted for attachment to 90 secured to said lug eld against` turning movement'with respect to the recessed plate a pair of links ypivotally connected at non-fv the opposed edges of a door and a doorframe respectively, `wherein the door is i adapted to swing. outwardly to one sidev of v said frame, said 'hinge comprising a plny the door swings to one side only of the door'v the door is in lclosed position, two ofsaid A.

frame, the combination with two members members being in the form of plates fixed to of' therdodr and door, frame; of two links frame-respectivel and the remainin .V extending between said membersfand both -bers being in 'the iormof link s each having the door one end pivotally. connected to one ofs'aid adaptedto swing to said side of i frame each vlink being pivotally connected plates at the end thereof at the inner side atits ends to b oth plates, the two -pivotal of the door and havingthe other 'end thereof 1 than the otherto that end of the correspondpredetermined limit of opening l movement connections of said lmks atene set of corpivotally connected tothe other plate at thel res ending ends being'axially oi'set,'one of end thereof at. the outer: side o f-said door.

sai two' pivotal connections being nearer frame.

ing plate which extends toward said s ide of -the combination with ya relatively stationary the door ,frame and the effective' Swingin@4 door frame anda door`member ;-of two selength of said link having its said pivotsil parate. means, 4' each means being pivotallyv adapted to be secured to the opposed edges the transverse edges of the door andthe door mem 13. In a hingeof the character described,

connection nearer said end 'ofthe plate beconnected with the door member-and with ling less than the effective lswinging of the athe frame.memberrespectively,V the pivotal other of the links, said links having cooper connections of said two separate means with ating'portions in the same path of swinging each of said'members being offset with removement at theends thereofadjacentthe spect. to ^each other laterally of the door door arranged to engage` each other at ay to positively" eontrol 4the'swingingmovement of the door ina predetermined path, said' means being 'so proportioned and arof the door.

ranged that one of lthe same fprojects within the plane defined by the other of said means when the door is in closed position.

14:. In a hinge of the character described, the combination With a relatively stationary door frame and door; of two separate links, each lin-k being pivotally connected with said frame and door, the pivots offone of said links being transversely offset relative to the pivots of the other link and offset in the same direction vto dispose said links in "foldedjvcondition between the adjacent opposed edges of the frame and door when closed, said opposed edges being spaced apart a distance less than the length of either ofsaidlinkst 15. In a hingeof vthe character described,

I the combination with a relatively stationaryl v of which is pivotally Iconnected to the longer extension on said frame and to the ,e shorter extension on said door, and the other of xwhich is pivotally connected to the lshorter extension on said frame, and the longer extension on said door.

`16. In a hinge of the charactedescribed,

the combination with a stationary door frame and a door respectively; of/two ,separate means each pivotally connected with said door and frame, on non-coincident parallel axes,and the pivotal axes of one of said means being disposed in a common plane to one side of the plane common to the pivotal axes of the pivots of the other means said frame being provided vwith a recess for the reception of one of said means,

and the door being provided with a recess furthe accommodation of the other of said means when the door is closed the space be-y tvveen the opposed inner Wall of said recesses when said door is closed being less than the distance between the pivotal connections at the oppositeendsof` either of said pivoted means.

`In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of Apr. 1921.

i JOHN W@ ANDERSON. 

